Mothers, Arise! Do the M.A.T.H.

Flint News reported yesterday on a woman named Lisa Brant, whose 16-year-old daughter was abducted five years ago from a friend’s home in Florida. She was drugged, raped, and about to be sold to a man in Texas. I presume she was found before that happened.

Brant has started an organization called Mothers Against Trafficking Humans (M.A.T.H.). Still in its infancy, M.A.T.H. hopes to become a parent group worldwide to raise awareness for human trafficking in the U.S.

There are no exact numbers on how many U.S. children are trafficked every year. But authorities estimate that 55% of internet child pornography comes from the United States. Well over 100,000 U.S. children are at risk of being trafficked because of problems at home. And 75% of U.S. victims are middle class.

Trafficking in the U.S. can happen to any child, not just those addicted to drugs or living on the streets (though we should still be outraged, even if it only affected them – they’re children!). It even happens to straight-A students and to boys.

According to the article, Brant has not had much success so far. She has spoken on a few talk shows, but the people she really wants to reach don’t seem to be listening. “People just don’t want to hear it,” she said.

How sad. For those of you who are mothers, which is harder: talking about a tough topic and how to protect your children from it, or standing by as your child is abducted, raped and sold as a slave? The question is a ridiculous one.

We need to be talking about this in our homes, in our schools, and educating caregivers in how to fight this terrible crime. The fact that it’s uncomfortable means it probably needs to be addressed much more than it is.

Children can take action to protect themselves if they are educated properly. But children shouldn’t have to live their lives looking over their shoulders. That’s what parents are for.

Comments

You are right of course. Children shouldn’t have to live their lives looking over their shoulder but this is the new world and that’s reality. We should be responsible for our own safety and it is no one else’s responsibility but that obviously doesn’t apply to children. These are difficult discussions for adults so imagine having to discuss these things with your children.

Now, I hate to do it but I must return to my theme. These are our wives and children that we are talking about. We should not allow ourselves to cower in fear before this evil force. Being in a totally defensive position is a good way to get killed so the best tactic is to attack. Always go forward and make the bad guys defensive. We should all be very capable of defending ourselves, especially women. The war against women currently raging in our streets could be won by a well armed. well trained, and determined population of women who refused to be anyone’s victim. You and your children are worth the effort.